She looked at the familiar-looking silver-haired male youth with a pair of languid icy blue eyes. The look in his eyes was enough to tell her that he saw what had happened and she just let out a tired sigh. The whole week is just tiring enough.

“Ah! Aediva, it’s the sleepy boy!” Cath said, ears perked up when looking at the male student they nicknamed as “the Sleepy Boy” due to the fact that he was always asleep when both Aediva and Cath found him around the campus. The silver-haired student frowned.

“I thought I already told you my name… It’s Aerelle” he said but Cath giggled.

“But, your nickname suits you better! Wait-- You’re actually awake!” he said, when the sudden realization hit him like a truck - seeing the silver-haired Adonis awake.

“What exactly do you mean by that? Ah, never mind that. Aediva, are you okay? Those students… They used magic on you earlier didn’t they?” he asked, his voice genuinely worried as he looked at Aediva’s hands that are concealed with her gloves.

“...” Aediva remained silent before meeting his eyes with her usual grin.

“Yeah. It’s nothing! And wow, you’re actually awake, huh, Sleepy Boy” she said, noticing a familiar shadow in the classroom. A shadow with a pair of horns.

“Well, I’m off now. Still a lot to do and it’s nowhere halfway done. See ya later, Sleepyboy! Blackhorns!” she said, glancing at the figure hiding in the classroom - smiling when noticing the shadow flinching from her calling him out. She walked away hastily, bringing the broom and Cath that was yelling at her to slow down.

Aerelle blinked, feeling confused at the second odd name he heard from the janitor girl. He glanced at the classroom, shocked - noticing the second person who was nearby. The one called “Blackhorns” is in fact...

That night, Aediva could not sleep. Her body was sore all the way from head to toe yet fatigue is also the reason she can’t even have a wink of sleep. She feels the pool of frustration and all the negative feelings in her stomach. She only stared at the ceiling she had just cleaned that day.

What is this uneasiness that is settling in her chest? That said, it is true that she is a janitor but to clean day in and day out is starting to feel a bit too much. Is this a normal feeling of someone who works hard labor for a living?

For hours she laid yet sleep wouldn’t come to her. She sits up, looking at Cath sleeping on the blanket in between her legs, curled and snug. Even when Aediva got off the bed, he was barely disturbed by the noise and her movement. How she wished, she’s Cath at that moment. It’s all because he had paws instead of hands, he got a lot of leisure time. And he barely had to use his legs to walk around since Aediva generously let him ride on her shoulders, even her head at times. He is a nuisance, true, but people let him off the hook all the time because he’s cute and almost every female student eyed him with those eyes that screamed wanting to smother Cath to their heart’s content.

Aediva looked at her own reflection in the mirror. Tired expression, dark circles underneath her eyes. She had to act as if she’s okay everyday since Marie would start nagging her if she even scowled.

“Every janitorial staff have to look presentable as well. Since you’re young, you should smile more. It’ll be bad if you actually wrinkle at such a young age too”

Ah… Marie. If only Aediva knew how much hag her boss is… She has never seen a hag so angelic-looking before. And she knows Marie was also deliberately giving them work in the areas always choke-full of students too. The whole week, there has never been a moment where Aediva did not curse her sensitive senses.

The damn senses that’s even better than Cath, the monster himself. She never said it out loud, knowing that Cath would just be even noisier if he knows how much better Aediva is than him.

She looked at the reddened skin on her hands - the aftermath of the magic struck on her by the group of students who were laughing at her early that day. It still feels like it’s blistering even though there’s not even a trace of blisters.

Aediva walked away from the room, down to the foyer - slinging a simple scarf over her body. She hates the cold but she felt like she needed a breath of fresh air. The ghost lingering in the lounge stopped her for a bit, asking where she’s going.

“I’m going to walk for a bit. Make sure Cath’s not awake” she said in a hushed manner. The ghosts nodded and left her alone - allowing her to leave the dorm. Climbing down the stairs, she carefully tread - watching the seas of stars above.

“Ah… Just when I’m about to stroll, the first sight is already making me a little drowsy… Even though it’s a beautiful starry night…” she murmured, her fatigue and sore body especially her neck only allowing a momentary view of the beautiful river of stars overhead. She walked down the stairs and sat at the very first step leading up to the mansion, hugging her knees as she let her shoulders slump and her head resting on her knees.

“Ah… I think Cath has managed to infect me with that stupid dream of his…” she was talking about the dream of being a student. Maybe from the get-go, she also had the wish to join Arthur and Eden in their classes. She doesn’t really understand why she would feel like she’s a bit jealous when they leave both her and Cath every weekday morning to go to their classes. When they talked about their classes and everything they learned. What they understand and not understand.

She felt as if trying to join in their conversation would only lead them to telling her that she’s not a student - again and again, reminding her that fact which reminds her of the constant humiliation she felt during the ceremony. She looked at her hands, couldn’t help but genuinely feel upset.

“... Can’t I really use magic…?”

Seeing the senior students flying on a broom, making potions in the lab and learning new magic incantations. Listening to the history of magic and the world. She wonders if she even had these so-called, “early school memories” in the first place?

Aediva snapped out of her trains of thoughts when picking up the sound of footsteps in her vicinity. It was strange how it suddenly sounded so near when she heard not a single noise as it arrived. Her eyes widened when seeing the tiny golden orbs floating about.

When she realized the one who was walking right in front of her is the familiar Blackhorns, she straightened up her back. He looked at her, equally surprised.

Aediva only let out a silent sigh when seeing him in his plain black shirt and black pants. He looks like he was not even waking up from his sleep before walking out of his dorm like she did. She is just in her nightdress with a thick scarf to cover her upper body.

“... It’s you. Strange lass”

Hearing the new unfamiliar voice of the young man, Aediva only smiled, waving weakly at the horned male. His voice is deep, yet pleasant to the ears.

“Hey there, Blackhorns. Out for a breath of fresh air?” Aediva asked. “Blackhorns” titled his head, his golden hair swaying to the side as well as his golden eyes looked at Aediva.

“... Yes.” he said. Then, silence.

“I… supposed you’re out for a little breather as well?” he asked back. Aediva let out a dragged-out tired sigh.

“I guess I am” she said, noticing how the young man only stood still where he stood. It was then again just a series of awkward silence until Aediva stood up and scratched the back of her head.

“I guess I’ll go back inside now. You go on with your stroll, Blackhorns. See ya” Aediva said, turning to her back and climbing back the stairs to the mansion. She didn’t bother to turn around to look back at “Blackhorns” who’s looking at her hands, only leaving when he heard the sound of doors closing and the rattle of chains.

“Blackhorns” closed his eyes and looked straight to where he was going in his nightly stroll - only to turn back to where he came from. The vision of the black mist circling around the strange girl sticking in his mind as he disappeared into thin air - leaving only the golden dusts floating about.